Location : Cleveland, OH
After the last several books, it was time for a light, entertaining read. And for that, I turned to an author that delivers; Clive Cussler. His books with the Dirk Pitt character are always a fun time, and this book, Treasure of Khan, continues that tradition.
Opening in 1281, a Chinese junk is swept way off course by a typhoon. The survivors reach shore on a Pacific Island, where they are befriended by the natives. A little while later, the discovery of a sea worthy vessel allows some of the Chinese to return home, where they are received as hero's and are granted an audience with the great Mongol Khan, Kublai. Since the the surviving Chinese found the island, it is now a part of Kublai Khan's empire and he would like to visit a warm, friendly land. Forward to 1937, where an archeologist makes an important discovery only to die after being shot down over the Gobi Desert by a Japanese fighter plane. in China. Next stop, the year 2007 and a water study for Dirk Pitt and his NUMA crew on Lake Baikal. A seiche wave on the lake nearly kills the NUMA crew and sets Dirk off on an adventure to find the people responsible for the wave. The search keeps returning to Mongolia and a mysterious and dangerous Mongol mogul bent on supplying the Chinese with oil while disrupting the global oil market. In true Cussler fashion, the story wraps back around to resolve opening arcs of the Chinese and the dead archeologist.
Dirk Pitt is a long running character for Cussler, and yet he hasn't lost any of his appeal through the years. Teaming with his son, Dirk Cussler, you can tell that there is plenty more to write using the character. And Dirk Cussler seems to have the writing chops to continue using Dirk Pitt. This is a very satisfying novel, much in the tradition of Sahara (which is referenced). Entertaining, fast paced, and built on the Dirk Pitt character (and his recurring friends in NUMA), this book grabs you from the first page and doesn't let up until the final, rewarding page. Along the way, you learn a little something about the great Mongol Khans, Genghis and Kublai, seiche waves, and undersea recovery. For as many Dirk Pitt novels as Clive has written, he could have mailed this one in. However, there is a reason that these books are as successful as they are - Cussler understands that he has a great franchise and does not let his readers down by creating a poor product. Treasure of Khan ranks as one of Cussler's best, most entertaining Dirk Pitt novels.
Technorati tag: book review Dirk Pitt Clive Cussler
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